My Ex-Girlfriend's Wedding
by Dragon'sHost
Summary: Jellal has been invited to his ex-girlfriend Erza's wedding. The ex that he's spent the past couple of years failing to get over. He's going to have to find a way to move past this and successfully wish her well in her married life. And maybe even find new love along the way.
1. Chapter 1

**This started off as an anonymous request, but I liked it too much. There probably won't be too many chapters overall. I still expect it to be over 10k when it's done, though.**

 **(It's a modern au, by the way.)**

 **Enjoy!**

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Morbid fascination suffused Jellal as he looked over the stylized envelope in his hand. Having arrived in his work mail that afternoon, it was printed on thick stationary, scented with something distinctly flowery, and embossed with his name in swooping letters. Which could really could only mean one thing.

Wedding invitation.

He'd been dreading this for some time; ever since she got engaged, in fact. It was somewhat inevitable that he'd get an invitation, as he'd attended their engagement party. Hell, he'd been the one to introduce them, in fact! Somewhere in the back of his mind, though… he'd guiltily wished for it to fall apart before reaching this point. Had almost _expected_ it to. They were just so… different from each other. But it was a selfish wish – he was well aware of that – and the universe had denied his version of reality most readily. Had before, and would continue to do so.

This was really happening, then.

Erza was getting married.

The woman he still carried feelings for had moved on from him long ago. His own fault, really. Actually… both of theirs. Being together seemed to bring out the worst in both of them. Although they had loved one another fiercely, they were puzzle pieces that didn't quite fit together perfectly. Sure, they could force themselves to, but it was a painful experience for them both, and in the end, they had decided that they would be happier with romance out of the equation. It was the only logical choice. Their friendship still worked. Just their romantic relationship had not.

Somehow, Jellal's heart had never quite gotten that particular memo.

A knock sounded on his office door before he could drum up the resolve to open the envelope and see the date. Relieved at the distraction, Jellal set it down on his desk on top of a magazine and the rest of his mail. "Come in," he called out.

A blonde head sporting a side ponytail poked into his office, and Jellal found himself smiling at the timely appearance of his coworker. "Lucy. What's going on?" The woman was two years his junior, but they'd both started working at the observatory around the same time so they had become fast friends over their mutual love of the stars and similar senses of humor.

"Got a favor to ask," she told him, opening the door further and fully stepping into the room.

This was a familiar refrain for Jellal. They'd covered shifts for each other more times than he could count. Had given up counting, for that matter. Neither kept track of the favors owed the other anymore. It just wasn't practical, and besides which their friendship wasn't based in tit-for-tat.

"Perfect timing," Jellal responded. "I've got one to ask of you as well." He picked up the wedding invitation and waved it in the air. "Going to need you to cover a shift for me, probably."

She grinned at him. "Same here, actually. Got a wedding to go to."

Jellal froze, his hand and the invitation held perfectly still in the air. "A wedding?"

"Yeah, for some old friends of mine and…" Lucy's voice trailed off, her eyes finally zeroing in on the envelope in Jellal's grasp. "Wait a minute…" She let out a gasp of disbelief. "You too?! No way…"

"Erza and Macbeth?" he asked weakly.

"Yeah!" Throwing her head back, she let out a long laugh. "Wow, it really is a small world. How long have you been friends with them?"

"Macbeth since college," Jellal admitted. "And I've known Erza since childhood." Though neither had been by conscious choice, if he were being honest with himself. Both friendships had just sort of… happened, somehow. Macbeth had needed some looking after, and Erza had always liked to mother Jellal. In hindsight, it was obvious that the pair would click as well as they had. "And you?"

"Through mutual friends. I was Natsu's roommate in college, and he introduced me to Erza. Erza and I hit it off pretty quickly from there. I didn't meet Macbeth until pretty recently, though."

Jellal nodded, familiar with the fiery-spirited firefighter with locks of fluorescent pink. It was a wonder that the stylistic choice was even allowed, but he'd long ago given up questioning how Natsu accomplished things.

"So…" Lucy peered at him, trying to size him up. "How is it that we've never crossed paths at one of the group get-togethers? They throw them _constantly_. You'd think we'd have noticed each other there after all this time."

He shrugged, just as perplexed by this as Lucy. And then like lightning, inspiration struck him a split second after. He let out a low groan at how simple the answer was. "Because we've been covering for each other at work this entire time."

Lucy thought about it, her face scrunched up in thought. "Holy crap," she breathed out in shock. "I think you're right."

They stared at each other, and then simultaneously burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"I mean…" Lucy wheezed, holding her sides, "What are the chances, even?!"

"Pretty slim," agreed Jellal.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Lucy observed, "I guess getting you to cover my shift for the wedding is out of the question."

"It would appear the same for me."

Lucy held up her arms in a helpless gesture. "We'll have to figure something else out, then." A devious smile stole across her face. "Hey, here's an idea. How about we go together? We'll both be leaving from here, anyways. May as well share the cab fare, you know?"

"Sounds good to me," Jellal found himself agreeing. Just a few minutes ago, he couldn't imagine himself going to the wedding with anyone. But if it were Lucy… well, if it were anyone, he was glad it was her. Small talk with Lucy was never as difficult as it had been with Erza. He thought he might be able to have fun at the wedding after all.

"So… childhood friends, huh," Lucy said with a grin. "I bet you've got all sorts of juicy stories to tell about Erza."

"More than you realize. She's my ex, too," Jellal found himself offering, without intending to. It was just so… _easy_ to bare his soul to the blonde. She had her own baggage in life, he could tell. They'd never discussed it, but thanks to it, she always seemed able to understand him even when he didn't himself.

Lucy's eyebrows shot up at the revelation. "Oh, wow. Exes. Now _this_ is a story I need to hear." Pausing for a brief moment, she then asked, "So… how about you and I go get drinks after work today? We can hash out the details about the wedding, and you can tell me more about you and Erza."

Her eyes were warm, and kind, and very difficult to say "no" to.

So he didn't.

"Sure," Jellal said, smiling back at her. "I'd like that."

"Great! See you later, then!" Lucy turned to leave, but paused upon seeing the magazine on his desk upon which the invitation had formerly lain. Her hand darted out, snatching it. "Ooh, I've been meaning to read this one. New Hubble photographs!" Tucking it under her arm, she gave him a short wave before exiting. "Bye, Jellal!"

Jellal stared dumbfounded at the casual thievery Lucy had just perpetrated against him. Then he let out a snort. He knew where to find it again if he needed it. And it wasn't as if Lucy would destroy it before he got the opportunity to read it.

He sat back down at his desk, and finally opened the invitation. The elegant calligraphy proclaimed the happy couples impending nuptials, with a preciseness and neatness to it that meant that neither Macbeth nor Erza had written it themselves and had instead paid extra for the printing. It brought a smile to his face that not even the date could dash.

Four months from now, he would be attending Erza's wedding. Before a few minutes ago, he probably would have spent the entire day debating whether or not to go at all.

Now the only question on his mind was what kind of wedding gift was appropriate to give to one's ex, and if maybe there was a handbook for this sort of thing because he had no earthly clue.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter was a little too much fun to write.**

 **As a bit of forewarning - this story is going to get a little ridiculous. Because why not.**

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The bar was still fairly empty when Jellal finally got off work. Still having some things to finish up, Lucy had urged him to go ahead and save them seats – but it was looking like that wouldn't have been necessary after all. The two kept some odd hours, which meant that they were often off work at strange times. Most people were probably not quite off work just yet. It would fill up in a couple of hours though, Jellal judged, so he made sure to take off his jacket and set it down on one stool while he occupied the one beside it.

Spotting him, the bartender soon made his way over to the man. "What can I get you?" the nondescript man asked. Jellal liked to try to remember faces, but he had a feeling that this man's would be one he'd forget almost immediately, no matter how hard he tried.

"What do you have on tap?" inquired Jellal. After the bartender had finished relaying the choices to him, he ordered one and watched as the man left to ready the drink.

In his pocket, his phone buzzed. Withdrawing it from his pocket, Jellal raised an eyebrow at the lit-up name on the screen. He took a deep breath – centering himself – and then hit Talk, raising the phone to his ear. "Hello, Erza," he greeted, as calmly as he could. Although he hadn't even drunk anything yet, his stomach was queasy, twisting up into nervous knots the likes of which a balloon artist would envy.

" _Jellal!"_ his ex said on the other end, her smile clear in her voice. He had always been able to tell when she was, somehow. It had been fun to brag about when they were dating, but now it was a painful drag on his heart. _"Did you check your mail today? I sent you something."_

"Yeah," he told her. A cold beer, condensation already beading on the glass mug, appeared beside him, and he smiled up at the bartender in thanks. He tried to put a smile into his voice as well for Erza. "I got the wedding invitation."

There was a brief silence between them, only the sounds of their breathing coming through the phone. Behind him, Jellal heard a couple more people enter the bar, but he didn't turn around to see if Lucy was among their number. He was pretty visible from where he was seated, so she shouldn't have any trouble finding him when she eventually showed up.

" _So?"_ Erza finally asked when she could no longer stand the quiet between them.

"So… what?"

" _Are you coming or not?"_

"Oh, yes. Of course I'm coming," Jellal responded. "I've already asked my boss for the time off, and he agreed. I shouldn't have any problem making it."

" _That's good."_ She breathed the words out in what Jellal could only interpret as a sigh of relief.

Pulling out a napkin from the nearby dispenser and a pen from his pocket, Jellal asked, "Where are you registered, by the way?" Awkwardly, he balanced his phone between his ear and his shoulder, needing both hands to write and keep the napkin steady as Erza gave him the place. "Okay, got it. Thanks."

"So how was work?"

The segue was easy, and the common phrase caught Jellal by surprise. It wasn't so much the words themselves, but the way that Erza had said it. Like she was genuinely interested in the answer, and not just making polite conversation. In the beginning of their relationship, they'd asked it of each other often. Towards the end… they hadn't said it at all. When was it that they'd stopped wanting to know how the other's day had been? When had they lost interest in each other's lives?

" _Jellal?"_ Erza asked, when he hadn't answered her question, caught in the memories as he was. _"Is everything alright?"_

"Yeah." Clearing his throat, he mustered up an excuse. "I'm sorry, I'm at a bar right now. I'm meeting a work friend for drinks. Can I call you back later?" Guilt rose up in his gut at the deception, even though it wasn't a complete falsehood. Lucy _was_ his friend, and they _were_ meeting for drinks. She just hadn't arrived yet, is all.

" _Oh!"_ Her voice sounded surprised, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. _"I'm sorry, I didn't realize. This is a bit unusual for you."_

Did she think he didn't have any friends outside their shared circle? Then again, Lucy was technically her friend as well, so maybe he didn't. Mild annoyance swept away most of the guilt he felt at ending the call. "Is it?" he asked her, unable to fully keep his emotions out of his voice.

"… _I didn't mean it like that,"_ she replied, after a moment's pause. _"And you know it. I just meant that you never talked much about your job with me, or any of your coworkers. So I was surprised a little that you'd mention them now."_

"Anyway, I'll call you back later, Erza."

She didn't pursue it further. _"Alright. Goodbye, Jellal."_

"Goodbye." He ended the call, and then set the phone down on the bar counter instead of returning it to his pocket. For the next ten minutes, he nursed his beer in silence and watched a basketball game on the television. He had no idea who was playing, but one side was certainly getting destroyed rather soundly. Now there was a group of people whose lives were – for the moment, anyway – just as unpleasant as his.

When it cut to commercial, Jellal opened the web browser on his phone and entered the URL written on his napkin. "I'm a glutton for punishment," he grumbled to himself, looking over the list of things Erza and Macbeth had registered for their happy wedded life to come. Pots and pans, towels and bedsheets, a toaster, plates and bowls… all of the normal things, Jellal supposed. But then there were a few decidedly odd items listed as well, such as a full set of medieval armor. Jellal wondered just what kind of store sold both household furnishings _and_ antiquities. And furthermore, did Erza – because Macbeth was definitely not the type – really expect anyone to buy that for her as a gift? That was asking way too much of people's budgets.

"How little money can I spend without being rudely cheap?" Jellal questioned aloud.

"That's the true dilemma, isn't it."

Jellal glanced up, a smile spreading across his face as Lucy pointed to the stool with his coat on it. "Is this seat taken, stranger?" she asked, a spark of mischief in her gaze.

"Sorry," he told her. "Meeting a friend after work. You'll have to try elsewhere." He gestured towards the largely vacant bar. "Looks like you can have your pick of the real estate."

Lucy shook with restrained laughter, and Jellal moved his coat to the back of his own barstool. "Glad you could join me," he told her as she sat down. "Caught up on the paperwork?"

The blonde woman nodded and winced. "Needed to update a few of the databases too, unfortunately."

"Good recordkeeping is the cost of good science."

"I know, but why can't it be more enjoyable?"

Their banter was cut short by the arrival of the bartender. Once Lucy was finished ordering her drink, she turned back to Jellal. "Was that the wedding registry you were looking at earlier?"

With a nod, as he was mid-sip and couldn't speak, Jellal slid the napkin with the URL on it over to Lucy. He waited as she tapped out the information into her phone at a rapid fire pace he wasn't entirely sure was human. She scrolled quickly through the list. They were both used to having to read data readouts on the fly, so Jellal had no doubt that she was processing everything she was seeing.

The phone's screen suddenly stopped, Lucy's thumb pressed into the glass. "A suit of armor?" Lucy uttered incredulously, her brow furrowed and her mouth hanging open slightly. "Really, Erza? Really?"

"My thoughts exactly."

Lucy sighed heavily, and thanked the bartender as he presented her drink. "It's a good thing I'm in a bar, because I think I need a drink after seeing that."

It might have been the beer, or maybe the residues of his frustration with his ex, or the friendly atmosphere drinking with Lucy brought out, but Jellal suddenly had a burst of inspiration. He clicked his own phone open again – the screen having gone dark – and he stared at the suit of armor.

"Uh oh," Lucy said, leaning in close to him. "I can see your wheels turning. What's on your mind?"

Jellal licked his lips, his throat suddenly a little dry. "What if… What if we got her the armor. How do you think she would react?"

His coworker considered it for a long moment. "She'd be over the moon, of course."

"But what about Macbeth?" pressed Jellal.

Lucy's eyes widened, and a wicked smile spread across her face. "If we each pay for half, we could make this happen. I'd be willing to spend that much for this." She lightly punched his shoulder. "You, sir, are horrible. Torturing your ex's beau like this. I'm in."

Jellal had no idea just what Macbeth had done to earn this enthusiasm from Lucy, but he was definitely not going to complain about it.


End file.
